Cathedral Sanctifier 

Michael Hayes, a 20th-century artist, painted this ‘Cathedral Sanctifier’, and the most striking element is the censer, from which smoke spirals upward. For millennia, the ritualistic burning of incense has bridged the earthly and divine realms. In ancient Egypt, fragrant resins were offered to the gods, while in the temples of ancient Greece, incense appeased the deities and purified sacred spaces. Now, observe the priestess's raised hand, a gesture of supplication or benediction. We see it echoed across cultures, from Byzantine mosaics of Christ Pantocrator to Renaissance depictions of the Virgin Mary. These symbols, deeply embedded in our collective unconscious, evoke a sense of reverence and spiritual longing. They are not merely aesthetic choices, but rather powerful conduits of cultural memory. Hayes taps into this primal language, engaging viewers on a subconscious level and reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to transcend time and space, carrying emotional and spiritual weight.